


Leading Men

by puskababy



Category: Adam Lambert (Musician), Kris Allen (Musician)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-18
Updated: 2012-09-18
Packaged: 2017-12-08 11:25:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/760808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/puskababy/pseuds/puskababy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kris Allen takes part in Dancing with the Stars, and Adam Lambert is his dance instructor. Usually Kris thinks os himself as quite a decent dancer, but he can't concentrate on the moves when he is so busy staring at Adam's hips.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this as part of the Harlequin Kradam fic comm on livejournal.

One

Kristopher Allen sighed as he caught sight of the newspaper – left carelessly on his front step. He knew the story would be in there, it was unfortunately something he couldn’t escape no matter how much he wished to. It wasn’t really anyone’s business – his sexuality was his own thing, but he supposed when a former American Idol champion came out after a two-year marriage, it would be something people wanted to know about.

It had only been a week since he’d announced it anyway, and for the most part he’d managed to keep a pretty low profile and just go about his every day business, but unfortunately, the revelation had had been more far-reaching than he’d thought possible, thanks to a now very bitter ex-wife who suddenly seemed hell bent on destroying his success. Despite how much it hurt, Kris couldn’t bring himself to blame her, after all Katy had always had a bit of a temper. 

Ignoring the heavy stabbing feeling in his heart, he slipped inside his new apartment, pushing the remaining cardboard boxes out of his way as he went to the fridge for a beer. He’d only moved out of their shared house last month, and he’d been on damage control ever since, so the unpacking got left by the wayside, much like his blossoming career, he mused – sipping the cool amber liquid. He kicked his shoes off as he slumped into the comfy armchair, flicking the television on. 

He studiously ignored TMZ when it flashed on, they spewed nothing but hate and annoyance anyway, and concentrated on the nightly news, absently thumbing through his iphone. There were two missed calls from his manager, but he looked past them - she’d only be telling him something about his upcoming appearance on Dancing with the Stars anyway, and he didn’t really feel like talking about it. If he was honest, he never thought he’d be the one to stoop so low as to appear on that show – surely he was above something like that? That show was only for B list celebs. 

Taking another sip of his beer he lifted the phone to his ear and listened to the voice message Lisa had left him. Sure enough it was about Dancing. 

“Hey Kris, so I spoke to the producers at ABC and they said they want to try something new this season with Dancing. Now don’t bite my head off, but I told them you’d be willing to dance as a part of their first same-sex couple. Apparently there’s been major success with it in other countries, and they want to encourage more viewers and all that crap. Everything’s going to proceed as normal; you’ll still have to be at the dance studio tomorrow morning at 11am. You can call me if you have any questions – oh and your partners name is Adam”

What the fuck? Frowning Kris punched speed-dial and sat back, tapping his fingers on the beer bottle. Lisa answered on the second ring. 

“Hey Kris”

“Hey, so I just got your message about Dancing. Why the hell did you agree to sign me up for a same-sex couple? Are you not aware of the fact that I just came out? Don’t you think that’s rubbing it in everyone’s faces a bit?”

“No, people aren’t afraid of something when they know it’s not going to hurt them” Lisa answered, as if totally prepared for his anger. 

Kris found himself deflating a bit in the face of her calmness. 

“But won’t this do more damage than good?”

Lisa sighed. “I don’t think you can inflict any more damage. I’m not trying to take a dig at you for coming out – I get that this is a major thing for you, and that you needed to do it for yourself. But Kris have you had a chance to look at the email I sent you? It’s the Billboard Chart for this week, it came out yesterday”

“No I haven’t. Why, what’s so special about it?” he asked, muting the television. 

“Kris your album’s dropped out of the Top 200. For a record that was only just released, that’s a pretty big blow”

“Huh” Kris said. 

“Yeah. Um, GMA cancelled tomorrow morning too”

“Why?”

“They said something about your image not being suitable for their network. It’s total bullshit, and I told them so, but they were pretty adamant. I’m sorry”

“No it’s fine I guess. Man my life is fucking awesome right now. I’m got an ex-wife who hates my guts, a newly released record that’s tanked, and morning shows cancelling on me because my image sucks. What the hell did I do wrong?” Kris sighed, slumping back and pinching the bridge of his nose. 

“You didn’t do anything Kris. It’s the rest of the country that’s fucked. Look I’ve got to go, you need your sleep for tomorrow. You’ve got the address for the studio right?”

“Yeah, ABC sent out a package. I’ve got all my shit together, so I’ll be fine to get there on my own. I’ll tell you now Lisa I’m not going to last long in this competition – if America isn’t ready for an openly gay Idol, then they sure as hell aren’t ready for two guys dancing the Tango together”

***

As it turned out Kris’s first dance wasn’t the Tango – it was the Cha Cha, and his partner Adam was ridiculously hot. Like panty-dropping, hard-on inducing hot. In fact Kris thought his mouth might have dropped open a little bit upon introduction to this sex god. Adam was tall and ebony haired, lean and muscled with bright blue eyes and just about the most sensual mouth Kris had ever seen on a human being – let alone a man.

His hand was warm and dry and he offered a friendly smile. 

“I’m Adam Lambert, it’s nice to meet you”

“Kris Allen” Kris said, gripping his hand tightly. 

Adam grinned. “Nervous?”

“No, why?”

Adam gently took his hand back. “You’re grabbing my hand there, you don’t have to be nervous. I’ll teach you what to do before they put you in front of the camera”

Kris blushed. “Sorry I um…never mind”

Adam’s eyes softened. “It’s ok. So you ready to start? We won’t get up to too much today, I just want to run through the basics and sort out a schedule of when we can train”

“Sure. How often will we get together? I’ve got no idea of the timing on this thing” Kris said, following Adam down the hall to a large dance studio. 

Adam dropped his gym bag in the corner next to a stereo and a couple of chairs. Kris shoved his hands in his pockets as he stared as his reflection in the floor-to-ceiling window, trying to ignore the rather enticing view of Adam’s behind. He was totally out of his depth here. 

“Ok” Adam said, coming back toward him. He’d slipped off his hoodie and was clad in black sweat pants and a loose-fitting red tank top that showed off his toned arms and chest. Fuck he was hot, and they hadn’t even started moving around yet. Kris swallowed as he took off his own hoodie and stood swaying his arms loosely. 

“Relax Kris, I won’t bite you” Adam said. 

_What if I want you to bite me? Jesus,_ Kris ignored the voice inside his head and tried to focus on not drooling. He’d never felt this attracted to another man in a while. 

“So the first thing you need to know about the Cha Cha, is that you’ve got to relax into it, bend your knees, they’ve got to be soft” Adam said, kneeling down and resting his hands on Kris’s knees. Gently he moved them around until Kris relaxed into his stance, his knees relaxed. 

“Just like that” Adam said as he rose to his feet. 

“Feels good” Kris said, bouncing on his toes a bit. Adam smiled. 

“Yeah, now for the moment we’re doing this without music but I want you to know that the beat for the Cha Cha is, I 2 3 and 4, sort of like 1, 2, cha cha cha. That’s the beat we’re going to be dancing to” Adam said, standing shoulder-width apart and moving on the balls of his feet to the beat he’d just mentioned. 

Kris watched, his eyes skimming over the long lean muscles of Adam’s thighs as he moved. It wasn’t too difficult a step to get the gist of. 

“That’s called a triple step” Adam said, speeding up his movements so it looked like he was bouncing on the spot, his hips moving in gentle rhythm. It was mesmerising. 

“Keep your knees soft” Adam said gently as Kris moved to the rhythm in his head, I 2 cha cha cha. Despite himself - he smiled. 

“Cool, this is actually harder than it looks”

Adam smirked. “We haven’t started the hard stuff yet”

***

By the time their short lesson ended Kris was sweaty and tired, his leg muscles a little achy. He packed up slowly, stuffing his hoodie into his gym bag before standing and stretching.

“You should have a warm bath, just soak for a while. This isn’t the longest we’ll do this, and I don’t want you to be too sore,” Adam said, slinging his bag over his shoulder. 

“Oh yeah, that sounds pretty awesome right about now” Kris said, following Adam back through the hallway and to the front door. 

“So I’m thinking we should do this for about five hours every day until the episode, which as you know is live on Sunday night. Sound ok?” Adam asked, slipping on some dark shades. Kris thought he looked stupidly attractive: his skin slightly flushed from exertion. 

“Sounds good, although I’m gonna be dead by the end of this”

Adam grinned. “Hell no. By the time I’m through with you, you’ll be quite a fine little dancer”

***

And so things continued for the duration of the week. Adam taught Kris the various moves of the dance they would perform on Sunday night. For him, the choreography wasn’t difficult, but for someone who’d never danced before, it could be tricky. To his surprise Kris did pretty well, of course there were things he struggled with, the first of which was called a ‘break and swivel’.

“No, you’ve got to come back to me on the 3 and 4” Adam instructed patiently. 

“What am I supposed to do with my other hand when it’s away from you?” Kris asked. 

“Nothing really for the moment, let’s just concentrate on getting it first,” Adam said, resuming his position, arms held out for Kris to step into. 

Trying not to get too frustrated, Kris stepped into Adam’s arms. 

“Ok, I’m going to start with the cross lead again. You’ve got this. One, two come in close, now turn out…Very good Kris!” Adam exclaimed as Kris finally executed the move. 

“Oh man, that felt good” Kris loosed a breath as he reached for his water bottle. 

“Told you you’d get it”

“So will we be doing any lifts or shit like that?” Kris asked. 

Adam shook his head. “Not quite yet. We’ll just focus on getting the basics down for this first dance. No-one’s expecting you to be an expert at the first episode”

“Yeah but I don’t want to get booted off.”

“You won’t. Now lets try again, we’ve almost got this first sequence” 

“First sequence? What’s next?”

“Nothing major, there’s just a few steps and a turn then we finish. Ok remember your beat…” Adam counted out the 1 2 3 and 4 beat as they moved slowly around the room, their footsteps loud on the wood floor. 

“Should I be looking at you while we’re doing this?” Kris asked as they went through the steps. 

“Yeah, especially when you do the cross steps, you keep your face on me while your hips are moving.” 

Kris nodded, trying to emulate Adam’s erect posture and carriage. Because Adam was a head taller than him, it was a little hard, but he managed. On more than one occasion though, he found himself getting lost in the cerulean depths of Adam’s eyes, finding that he wanted to make him proud of his achievements. 

He wasn’t sure if Adam noticed him staring, but he liked to imagine the little flush staining Adam’s cheeks wasn’t just from exertion. He didn’t really believe that someone as plain as he could make an impression on the tall, sexy guy. He could dream though. 

Two hours later they stopped for the day, flopping down onto the wooden floor. Adam used a tissue to db the sweat from his brow, grimacing a little in disgust. 

“So when am I going to hear the music we’re dancing to? I mean, it’s Friday, we’re doing this for real on Sunday night” Kris asked, fiddling with the label on his water bottle. 

“In a sec actually. We’ll do a quick run-through today and then tomorrow before we do it” Adam leant back against the wall, his legs straight out on the floor. 

“Cool. What song is it?”

“It’s called ‘Short skirt long jacket’”

Kris blanched. “But that song’s fast! I’ll never be able to keep up with you”

“You’ll be fine, it’s slowed down a bit. You know tearing the labels off water bottles is a sign of sexual frustration?”

Kris blinked. “What?”

Adam grinned. “I read somewhere that it shows sexual frustration when you do it”

“And you know this how?”

Adam shrugged. “I’m full of useless information, it’s not enough to make a career out of it, but it keeps me amused”

Kris chuckled. “So what do you want to do?”

Adam chewed his lip and drew his knees up, hooking his arm around them. All of a sudden he looked vulnerable. 

“I want to sing”

“Really?”

“Yeah, and please don’t tell anyone, otherwise they’ll think I’m taking advantage of your position”

Kris shifted closer, resting his hand on Adam’s shoulder. “I won’t tell anyone – wouldn’t dream of it”

“Thanks. Somehow I get the impression that people would be pissed if I left the show”

“If your contract was up they wouldn’t, but yeah I get that feeling. It’s like you’ve got to keep them happy, but at what cost to you? Are you happy doing this?”

Adam shrugged. “Yeah it’s fine, it keeps me fit and I get to meet all sorts of new people but…”

“Your hearts not in it?” Kris finished. 

Adam nodded.

Kris smiled in sympathy and gave Adam’s shoulder a squeeze. “When is your contract up?”

“If we make it through the show, it ends after that. If not, then it ends whenever we get eliminated”

Kris stood up, extending his hand. 

“Well we better not get eliminated then”

***

By the time Sunday night rolled around Kris was a nervous wreck. They’d spent most of the morning practising their routine, but Kris felt sure that as soon as the music started he’d loose it all. Adam just told him not to worry.

“You’ve got this” Adam said again as they changed into their costumes. Adam’s hair was slicked back into a high pompadour and he was adding a final touch of liner to his eyes. The make-up crew had already tended to them, and had now moved on to the other contestants. 

“I’m shitting myself,” Kris said, fiddling with his black shirt. The clothing was unfamiliar, and way tighter than he was used to, but the trousers did make his legs longer – a mean feat given his stature. 

“You’ll be fine, now come on,” Adam said, gently pushing Kris away from the mirror and down the corridor to the stage entrance. Technicians and producers all ran around putting the final touches on the sound stage and the hosts and judges were off to one side, getting their mic’s organised. The audience were chatting amongst themselves and the atmosphere was electric. 

“Ok guys, since this is the first episode, we gonna need you to make your first entrance from the top of the grand staircase here. Your names will be called, you’re allowed a quick pause for applause, then make your way down to the front here where the white marks are. The host is going to chat to the audience and the camera for a while, introduce you then we’ll get underway. Ok?”

“Come on” Adam said, following the others backstage ad up a flight of stairs. Kris chewed his lip the whole time they waited there, each couple arranged in the order they would be presented in. He couldn’t hear much, the music and crowd noise was dulled somewhat, but then both their names were called and he followed Adam to the stage door. 

“International music star Kris Allen and his partner Adam Lambert” 

Kris tried not to appear too dazed as he and Adam stood for a moment at the top of the stairs. Adam’s hand was at his back: a warm soothing pressure that helped ground him as they took their place in the line, the audience clapping politely. Kris didn’t know if they were outraged that a gay couple were featured, and he really didn’t want to think about it. So for the moment he concentrated on the feel of Adam’s hand on his back. 

The whole show passed in a blur, and before he knew it it was their turn to dance. 

“Oh God I’m going to be sick”

“You’ll be fine. Just remember what we went through. Forget about them, just look at me. I won’t let you fall” 

The lights were hot on his back and they made him squint, but Kris focussed on Adam’s eyes and the strength emanating from his warm hands as he guided them around the floor. It was over before he knew it and he hadn’t fucked up a single step. Or so he thought. 

He barely remembered the judge’s words or scores and it was only later on when he and Adam were changing did he remember to ask. 

“What did they score us again?” he asked, slipping off his black shirt and tossing it aside. 

Adam fiddled with the buttons on his shirt for a moment. “Um, a 6, a 7 and another 6. Pretty good for your first time”

Kris grinned. “That wasn’t my first time”

Adam’s cheeks flushed and he looked away, and Kris suddenly realised he was still clothed: his fingers paused over his buttons. 

“Are you ok?”

Adam nodded shyly and Kris stepped closer, glad they were alone in the room. All the other contestants had converged on the nearest bar for post-show drinks. They’d be joining them later on, but for now they were alone. 

“Does my being half-naked bother you?” Kris said boldly. 

Adam chuckled. “No, I’m fine, just thinking about our next dance”

“What’s that?”

“The Tango”


	2. 2

Two 

They ended up having the weekend off, much to Kris’s relief. He considered himself a pretty fit guy, but even he had to admit, the different dance steps had his muscles aching. After they went out with the rest of the crew, he came home to soak himself in a hot bath, his mind mulling over Adam.

His reaction in the dressing room had been a little odd, and Kris found himself spending more time than was healthy thinking about it. Adam didn’t seem particularly shy, but his cheeks had been pink and he’d seemed as though he didn’t really want to look at him. Maybe Adam was uncomfortable with nudity, or maybe he was interested in him. 

That couldn’t be true though, they’d barely been together, well aside from the dancing. Adam was definitely a great guy, and Kris knew if given the chance he’d climb that like a tree, but it wasn’t exactly professional to fuck one’s dance partner? Perhaps not. 

By the time Monday morning came around Kris’s muscles were feeling ok and he made a snap decision to order two latte’s before he made his way to the studio for rehearsal. They’d agreed to meet every day from 10am, till about 4 or 5pm, and Adam was already waiting for him, doing some slow stretches to warm up. 

“Hi Kris” he called. 

“Hey, brought you a coffee” Kris said, sitting the cup on the floor next to Adam’s bag. Sipping his own drink slowly, he watched Adam, who was standing at the barre, one long leg straight as he rested it on the wooden rod, his toes pointed. Slowly, with one arm raised above his head, he bent at the waist, his fingers touching his foot. He did it slowly several times, his body moving lithely. It was incredibly graceful. 

“Ballet?” Kris asked, slipping off his hoodie. 

Adam glanced up. “Oh yeah. I never did it professionally, but I always liked it”

Kris stood in front of him, watching as Adam moved into another position, his feet crossed. Struggling, Kris tried to follow, but nearly fell on his ass trying. 

Adam laughed. “Ok, that’s enough screwing around. Why don’t you try something easier?”

“Easier than ballet? Huh, this is a piece of cake” Kris grunted, still trying to twist his feet around. 

“Tuck from your centre, your core gives you support” Adam said, resting his hand on Kris’s stomach, just under his ribs. 

“Ok, this dancing stuff is harder than I thought. Instruct me, oh mighty one” Kris laughed, boldly slipping his arms around Adam’s neck and slinging his leg onto Adam’s hip. 

Adam’s cheeks flushed at the close contact, and he rested his hands on Kris’s hips, glancing almost shyly down at him. 

“We should practise,” he whispered. 

“Yeah we should. I just want to do one thing first”

“What’s that?”

Quickly, before he lost his nerve, Kris leant up and placed a quick kiss on Adam’s parted lips, just a brief taste before he pulled back. 

“You were saying?”

***

An hour later Kris was working on getting the basics of their Argentine Tango. Adam had stepped up his choreography a bit, and to Kris it felt a lot harder.

“It’s just the style of the dance, you’re doing well” Adam said, bending down to rest his hand on Kris’s ankle. They hadn’t talked about their kiss, and Kris was dying to do it again. 

“You need to keep your active foot here, and move forward with the other one. You move your right back while I move it forward. Here let’s try it slower” Adam said, standing up and moving back into position. 

Kris sighed and slipped his hand into Adam’s, liking the way their chests were held close. He could smell Adam’s skin, felt a shiver pass through him as Adam’s large hand settled on his lower back, pressing their bodies together. It was very…distracting dancing this close. 

“Keep your eyes on me, that’s it, nice and slow, keep your foot there, now slowly we’re going walk…” Adam’s voice was right in his ear, his breath warm. It made the hair on the back of Kris’s neck stand up. 

Slowly, they parallel walked around the room, their footsteps loud, the only sound in the room apart from Adam’s instruction. Kris kept his eyes locked with Adam’s and surprisingly found he didn’t make a single mistake. Not surprisingly, he didn’t want to let Adam go once they finished moving. 

“I kind of like dancing like this” Kris said, keeping his chest flush against Adam’s. 

Was it his imagination or did Adam’s hand tighten against his back? 

“This is called the sweetheart embrace,” he said softly. 

“I’d kind of like that too”

Adam rested his forehead against Kris’s. “What? For me to be your sweetheart?”

“Yeah”

Adam kissed him softly. “I’d kind of like that too”

***

The dancing got easier after that, but Kris had to admit, they spent almost the whole remainder of that day making out, rather than dancing. Adam, he discovered, was a pretty awesome kisser.

“We should practise, we’re not going to win anything doing this all day” Adam whispered, his breath hot on Kris’s cheek, his lips swollen and adorably red. 

“We will practise. Later’ Kris said, capturing Adam’s lips again. 

“Now” Adam pulled away, and after casting a casual glance up and down Kris’s body, he walked slowly back to the centre of the room. Kris glanced smugly at the sizeable bulge in Adam’s dance pants. 

“You’re no fun,” Kris pouted. 

Adam chuckled. “This dance is about sex Kris, use your frustration”

“Shall I hit the lights?” Kris joked, but Adam paused for a moment. 

“Might be a good idea, give me a sec,” he said, padding over to turn the lights off, plunging the room into semi-darkness. 

“Feel it,” he said softly, coming back to stand next to Kris, slipping his arms around him. 

Kris took a breath and rested his hand in Adam’s, focussing on the feel of his hands, the way his breathing moved his chest, the soft fan of his sweet breath. There wasn’t any music, just the sounds of their bodies, their breathing, their heartbeats. 

Slowly, Adam started moving them, his footsteps loud and sure on the wooden floor, they parallel walked, off-axis and on, their legs scissoring. It was the most confident Kris had felt on the floor yet, and he knew it was all because of the man with him. 

“It’s about breaking apart,” Adam flung him away, “And coming together” Before he could blink; he was back in Adam’s arms. 

“It’s about wanting…lust...” Adam held them cheek-to-cheek, and Kris felt his desire as if it were seeping through his skin. 

“The finish is the best part, we’ve got to leave them wanting, they’ve got to be able to feel us. We have to make them think we’re seconds away from jumping one another” Adam said, panting. 

“How are we going to finish?”

Like they’d practised, Adam threw him to the floor, using his full height to tower over him. 

“We’re going to make them think I totally destroyed you”

***

“So when you said destroyed, what exactly did you mean?” Kris asked later on while they were packing up. After that somewhat steamy routine they’d run through it at least twice more, and now Kris was totally knackered.

Adam shrugged. “Do you really need to ask me that?”

Kris slipped an arm around him. “You’re lovely. How could you destroy me?”

“Well whatever we have isn’t going to do much for your career is it?”

Kris blinked, taken aback by Adam’s negativity. 

“Where’s this come from?”

Adam shrugged and Kris gave him a squeeze. “I’m not going anywhere. I don’t give a shit what people think of me, and I thought you didn’t either?”

“I don’t”

“Then what’s the problem? Sure people might get pissy about two dudes being together, but screw them” Kris said. In the year since his divorce he’d done a whole lot of growing, emotionally and otherwise. He now knew that he was happiest when he was being himself, and that he really didn’t need the opinions of others to feel good. 

“Nothing, I’m being silly” 

“Yeah, adorable, but silly. Look if you’re worried about getting hate about this: try not to. I really like you.”

“I really like you too, try to ignore my somewhat overdramatic mannerisms” Adam joked. 

Kris leant up and kissed him sweetly. “I like your over dramatics. Hey why don’t we do dinner? Just something casual, we can go out, or stay in”

“Are you trying to get me into bed Kristopher?”

Kris grabbed his hand. “What if I am?”

“Then I might have to oblige you good Sir”

“See what I mean? You’re lovely”

***

They ended up having dinner at Kris’s, relaxing in his tidy apartment with a movie and good food. Adam seemed to get over his mood, and they stole sweet kisses and loving touches long into the night. It was nice to just be themselves, with no steps or technique involved.

“So no Grammy yet?” Adam asked, glancing around. The room was still a bit untidy, but Kris had managed to unpack a bit more since he’d first moved in. 

Kris rolled his eyes. “At the rate I’m going I don’t think I’ll ever get one”

Adam shifted closer, sipping his red wine. “How come?”

“My career has pretty much tanked. In case you didn’t know, this is sort of a last ditch attempt to salvage it”

“Really? Do you think it will work?”

“Who knows?”

“I’m sorry about your career”

Kris shrugged. “Not much I can do about it. Celebrity Big Brother hasn’t come knocking yet, so I’m not totally dead”

Adam laughed and slipped his arm around Kris’s shoulders, “You’ll be fine”

“Hope so, cause this is all I can do”

Adam kissed the side of his head. “You’ll be ok”

Kris sighed morosely, and Adam have him a squeeze. “I mean it. We’re not going to get eliminated, our Tango kicks ass”

“You’re right, it does”

Adam grinned. “Besides, once they see your cute little butt in those dance pants, they won’t boot you off. Trust me”

Kris rolled his eyes and cupped Adam’s cheek, turning his head. 

“Shut up and kiss me”


	3. 3

3

“Can we stop now?” Kris panted, glancing across the room at Adam, who was running full tilt on a treadmill. Throughout the competition Adam had insisted that Kris pick up his fitness regime, and after a little persuasion, Kris had agreed and now went with Adam to the gym every day.

At first it was hard, but after a few weeks he’d started to notice some changes, and he had to admit, watching Adam sweat it out was rather satisfying. The gym they frequented was often pretty quiet, which suited him fine; he could oogle his boyfriend for as long as he wanted without any interruption. 

“Ok, we can stop. That was a pretty good workout, although I think you were staring at me more than actually moving” Adam said, wiping beads of sweat off his toned chest. 

“Allow me” Kris said, slipping his arms around his waist and drawing him closer so he could kiss away the sweat. 

Predictably, Adam blushed. “Stop that, someone might see”

“Who cares? I want to kiss you when you’re like this”

“It might affect our standing in the show”

“Adam, we’ve already made it through the Cha Cha, the Tango, and a million other dances I can’t even remember, I think it’s pretty safe to say that we’re pretty popular”

“Yeah. Ok fine, kiss away”

Kris grinned and leant forward to do just that.

***

“Ok, so this week we’ve got a Viennese Waltz” Adam said later that day. They’d gathered in the studio again, after dodging some good-natured ribbing from a couple of the other contestants. It seemed word of their fledgling romance had got out, but the others had seemed nice about it, which had put some of Adam’s hesitation at ease.

“Sounds complicated” Kris said. 

“It can be, but we’ll be ok. It’s one of my favourites actually”

“You big softie” Kris joked, loving the faint flush that painted Adam’s cheeks. 

Clearing his throat Adam went to stand in the centre of the studio, pulling Kris along with him. 

“You stand here, it’ll be easier at first if I teach you these steps separately”

“Ok”

“So you start with your feet together, just like that, you’re going to move in what’s called a ‘closed’ step, you take one step with one foot, then close it with the other. Does that make sense?” Adam asked. 

“I think so,” Kris said. He loved it when Adam got like this, all authoritative, and just plain sexy. 

“Ok, maybe this will be easier if I show you” Adam said, moving to stand in front of Kris. He raised his arms in the typical stance, as if he were holding Kris’s hand, while the other rested on his waist. Slowly, with deliberate measured steps, he moved in a graceful circle around the studio. 

“See how I’m closing the step? I step away with my right foot, then together again” 

“Ok, yeah that makes more sense now”

“Good, now how bout we try it together?” Adam asked as he came back. 

Kris nodded and placed his hand on Adam’s shoulder, his other cupped in Adam’s warm hand. 

“We should do dinner tonight” 

“We will, now concentrate” Adam said, counting aloud as they moved off. 

Unfortunately due to Adam’s much longer legs, his first stride was a good deal longer than Kris’s, and poor Kris tumbled into Adam’s arms. 

“Whoops, sorry” he mumbled, regaining his footing, with a little help. 

“No that was my fault, I never even thought about that. I’ll have to take smaller steps, let’s try again,” Adam suggested.

“Isn’t that going to fuck up your rhythm?” Kris asked. 

“No it’ll be fine” Adam said, counting aloud as they moved off again. This time he made his stride smaller and Kris was able to keep up as they spun around the room. That was the unique thing about the Viennese Waltz; the couple dancing said waltz faced each other almost the whole time, as they circled around the floor. It was very romantic, and Kris could see why it was Adam’s favourite. 

“What song are we using?” he asked once they’d finished. 

“Iris, by the Goo Goo Dolls,” Adam said as he slipped a CD into the stereo. After a second the smooth beat and dulcet tone of the lead singer drifted through the room. The late afternoon sunlight made their shadows long and cast blue highlights in Adam’s hair, bathing the room in its warm golden glow. 

Smiling gently he stepped toward Adam, slipping his arms around his waist and rising on his toes to kiss him. 

“One more time?”

***

Later that night they had dinner at Adam’s place, which was an eclectic mix of skulls in bell jars and funky artwork. The main room was dominated by a large driftwood dining table, and Kris noticed some sheet music gathered in a neat pile. He desperately wanted to glance over it, but didn’t – knowing Adam would show him when he was ready.

While Adam prepared their meal – a vegan stir-fry, Kris wandered around the apartment, looking at the various artworks and photos that Adam had tastefully arranged. He couldn’t help but glance into his bedroom, hoping they’d get a chance to play around on the Queen sized bed. He felt comfortable here; it was so distinctly Adam how could he not?

It was amazing really just how close he felt to the other man, he felt like this could be the making of a very serious relationship, and he hoped Adam felt the same way. 

“Dinner” Adam called, and Kris trotted back to the kitchen, pushing his romantic thoughts from his mind. 

The stir-fry looked delicious, but Kris was a little apprehensive at the chunks of tofu he could see along with the green vegetables and other healthy foods. Adam handed him a glass of crisp white wine and they took a seat at that impressive driftwood table. 

“You look nervous, why are you nervous?” Adam asked, sipping his wine. 

“This looks…interesting” 

“It’s fine, you sound just like my brother” Adam said, crunching on a water chestnut. 

“You have a brother? So do I” Kris said, attempting to spear a piece of tofu with his chopsticks. 

“Cool. Kris it won’t bite you”

He smirked and flicked Adam’s forearm, finally putting aside his qualms and tucking into the meal. 

A couple of hours later they were planted in front of the television, not actually watching it. Kris had straddled Adam’s waist and was kissing him deeply, twirling his fingers in the ebony hair. The feel of Adam’s jean-clad erection against his own was a heady turn on and he moaned softly as Adam sat up. 

“Bedroom?” he murmured. 

Kris nodded, following the other man down the hall to the room, carnal anticipation high in the air as he closed the door.

***

Later that week they were again waiting in the wings of the theatre, watching the other couples go through their routines. Their Viennese Waltz was pretty strong, but Kris still got nervous. He didn’t believe Adam when he told him that he didn’t get nervous.

Despite Adam’s confidence in his abilities, he still couldn’t quite believe he was still in the competition. He was still expecting to be booted off for being part of the first same-sex couple on a mainstream television program. It seemed though times were changing, and they’d been the only couple to escape being in the bottom three for the duration. 

Even though it was totally surreal, he had no one to thank but Adam. He’d been a total miracle worker – transforming his seeming unco-ordination into seamless dance steps, filling him to the brim with confidence and even maybe love. It was definitely on the cards. Adam was a total catch, and if he wanted to quit the show and pursue his singing career, than that was fine by him. He’d offer any advice he could. 

“Hey” Adam whispered, resplendent in his tuxedo. They’d gone traditional for their waltz, but Kris could see a faint touch of liner along Adam’s eyes. Quashing the butterflies in his stomach, he turned to face him, the bright stage lights casting a delicate halo around Adam’s ebony head. 

“Shall we dance?” Adam asked, as he pulled him onto the stage.


End file.
